Whole Body Vibration—Muscle Strength & Flexibility
How does whole body vibration create an intense workout? Holding your weight against vibration increases the effects of gravity. . . . Every muscle fiber will automatically tense and relax at the same rate that the machine is vibrating, twenty to fifty times per second (with Vibrant Health machines).... And one hundred percent of your muscle will be working, while in traditional exercises, only some of your muscles are engaged. The combined effect:
10 minutes of Whole Body Vibration is the equivalent of 60 minutes of weight lifting.
Used as a training method, Whole Body Vibration has been shown to increase bone density, muscle strength and flexibility in a remarkably short amount of time.
Sounds too good to be true, but extensive research supports these claims, and as anyone who has used this system can tell you, it is hard work!
How Whole Body Vibration Creates Intensive Exercise
- Holding weight against vibration increases the effects of gravity. Because of this physical reality (described mathematically as gravity equals mass times acceleration), when vibrating, your muscles must hold up to three times your actual weight, the exact amount depending on the amplitude and frequency of the vibration. If you have any doubt about this, consider the arm and shoulder muscle development of men who operate jackhammers.
- Every muscle fiber will automatically tense and relax at the same rate that the machine is vibrating, usually twenty to fifty times per second. That adds up to one thousand to three thousand little tiny “reps” per minute—much more work for your muscles than holding a position (isometric exercise) or typical repetition workouts.
- One hundred percent of your muscles will be working, while in traditional exercises, only some of your muscles are engaged. For example, in a non-vibrating squat, only about 40 percent of your leg muscles are working, but if you are vibrating, 100 percent of your leg muscles will be firing.
Many different positions have been developed to target different muscle groups. These targeted exercises involve getting into a position on the plate and holding your body weight against the vibration. The vibration multiplies the work done by your muscles dramatically. Holding a sit-up position for one minute on this vibrating plate, for example, feels like you’ve done 40 sit-ups in one minute.
Vibrant Health's 2019 WBV Survey Results:
Our customers (88% are age 50-80 years) rated five different areas of health and wellness before and after starting their whole body vibration program. Rating on a scale of 1 – 5, all areas measured - strength, energy, mobility, sleep, and mood/anxiety - improved, 25%, 28% and 20%, 17%, and 14%, respectively.
Improvements were rapid for Strength, Energy, Mobility, Sleep, and Mood/Anxiety:
- 15-20% improved after a few WBV sessions
- 45-60% total within a month
- 60-70% total within several month
Testimonials
I am 68 years young and have had chronic diagnosis’ for over 30 years. After over a year of immobility due to low back stenosis pain and chronic hip issues, my biggest concerns were loss of ability, endurance and vitality. Conventional treatments were not geared for my age and disability from chronic conditions. In the spring of 2018, I started using Becky’s Gentle 500 vibration machine. I felt a boost of confidence in my body and myself as I gained energy and my pain decreased. I consulted with Becky again and upgraded to the Vibrant Health Power 1000 in January of 2019. I used to think I was going to end up in a wheelchair; now I am swimming every other day, and I recently added using a light weight-lifting machine routine to my gym workouts. The increased confidence from my increased endurance and strength is priceless.
I am forever grateful to have found my way to whole body vibration and Becky, as conventional options are not geared for my age and chronic conditions.
— Sandy Gong, age 68
I was mountain biking in the fall of 2017, hit a root, fell off my bike hit the ground and fractured my little finger. In the fall of 2018 after using my WBV machine for about 4 months, I was mountain biking in the same woods and hit a root. This time, as my bike was falling I was able to jump off and land on my feet. I felt very strong and in control, increased core strength and balance, quad and calf strength. I felt great! I felt like I was and agile 20 y/o again . Also, a year after using the Vibrant Health Power 1000 vibration machine, my calves were bigger, evidenced by my ski boot buckles needing to be adjusted!
This past ski season in 2019 I had a serious ski fall that could’ve been deadly, however, no major injures injuries, no broken bones and my body healed quickly from bruises and sore muscles and knee! I was 53 at the time but felt like a young athlete.
Additionally, I want to mention that going through menopause is a great time to use the WBV machine as it helps to maintain muscle tone, which in turn helps boost mood and body image as things begin to shift from changes in hormones.
— Marliana Cataldi, 53 years old
I’ve been raving about the vibration machine to everybody I know. I’m, stronger, noticeably more toned, my mood is decidedly better, and now my entire family is coming with me to use the vibration machine. I’ve been so pleased with the toning and strength benefits that I’ve cancelled my gym membership.
—Judi Garland
After many years of intense stress, I was so overwhelmed and exhausted that I had to breakup my tasks into manageable pieces. Going out of the house was accomplished with great effort. Then I started using Becky’s vibrating platforms. These platforms were the key to my building up my strength to do daily tasks. All I did was stand for 5 minutes, holding on to the curved bar on the gentle one, then later I moved to the Power 1000 platform, sometimes holding the straps for balance and now for strength training. Once, all I could do was my 5 minutes of vibration in a day, now I find myself working in my garden for short periods of time, going to the grocery, and now able to do more than one thing in the same day. Not exaggerating, I have my "no problem, I can do it" attitude back, with an "edit myself" approach of not trying to do quite as much as I once did. The vibration platform makes the rest of my health routine work.
—Mary, age 69, registered nurse
My back muscles and posture has been uneven for 30 years due to scoliosis. Whole body vibration has helped to even out my upper body muscle strength and mass, especially on my left side where it was weaker. I am standing straighter now. It also helps my sinuses drain, and my lungs feel less congested. I use it especially in the winter to stay more physically active, and it has a nice massage-like affect. I am still working and very active, and I’m determined to stay that way.
—Bill, age 72
I've been trying hard to lose weight and tone up for two years - really watching what I eat, working out at the gym and even with a personal trainer for almost a year. I never lost a pound without gaining it right back the next week. Now, after one month I've lost at least 6 lbs, and during the holidays too! My clothes all fit much better, and my friends are noticing how toned I am. My daughter poked my stomach last week and said "Are those your abs? Oh my God!" The biggest thing for me though is that I am sleeping! One week after I started I slept straight through the night, only waking up once. I hadn't done that in 10 years and I am continuing, one month later to sleep much better than before.
—Mary Jane Langone
I was a Division I track and field athlete during college, I have endured many typical running injuries. More recently, while training for a ½ marathon, I suffered from a terrible bout with Iliotibial Band Syndrome. Whole body vibration with Becky helped me to overcome this debilitating injury and complete the ½ marathon with a personal best (by nearly 10 minutes!). I have also found that my recovery time after long runs has decreased dramatically while using whole body vibration. Additionally, my strength and muscle tone have improved tremendously thanks to the vibration.
Working with Becky for the past year has brought about numerous positive changes in my overall wellness. Whole Body Vibration combined with additional natural therapies has provided a marked improvement to my autoimmune disorders, including the circulation disorder Raynaud’s Disease. My seasonal allergies are much less severe and I have gone from a long history of 6+ sinus infections per year, to one. I have also seen a marked improvement in mood and energy level in general.
I want to thank Becky for her commitment to and expertise in helping me to improve not only my athletic performance, but my overall health.
—Hillary D. Repucci